Means for latching and unlatching swinging closures



MEANS FOR LATCHING AND UNLATCHING SWINGING' CLOSURES March 26, 1940- P. .1. PRACCHIA Filed March 8, 1939 a 15 JZYIVEJYTUR.

Patented Mar. 26, 1940 UNITED STATE MEANS FOR LATCHING AND UNLATCHING SWINGING CLOSURES Peter John Pracchia, Petaluma, Calif.

Application March 8, 1939, Serial No. 260,615

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improve ments in means for latching and unlatching swinging closures and has particular reference to means of this character that may be applied to automobile doors or like hinged and swingable objects.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a streamlined handle for automobile doors that includes a trigger arranged within the handle for releasing the bolt of the door, the handle of the door being rigidly secured at both ends to said door so that no protruding or hook shaped handle is exposed outside of the door surface, as is the usual practice in producing door handles of this type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined door handle and lock mechanism which may be operated from both the outside and the inside of the vehicle to latch and unlatch the locks of the vehicle doors.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a door latching mechanism of the class set forth that may be applied to any form of motor vehicle doors without materially changing the construction thereof.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, showing the improved latching mechanism as applied to an automobile door;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view further illustrating the mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the locking mechanism and associated parts;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the lock mechanism and associated parts of the device;

Fig. 5 is a detailed view, showing the lock bolt and associated mechanism for actuating the same; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the locking bolt and the means for releasing said bolt.

The present invention is designed to obviate the use'of the hook shaped handles on motor vehicle doors. The usual type of handles employed in automobile construction extend outwardly from the surface of the door, and their free ends form a hooked element which when engaged by the clothing of the operator often times causes damage to the clothing and may also cause bodily injury to the person opening or closing the door.

from the outside of the vehicle.

It is, therefore, the object of my invention a provide a door handle of streamline form which is fixed at both ends to the door and which em-.

bodies a concealed trigger mechanism for operating the latch bolt of the .door.

In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 8 designates a streamlined handle section secured to the door 9 by means of screws orv like fasteners l0 and H. The trigger I2 is pivoted within. the handle at the point l3 and has a bell crank lever l4 extending therefrom, said handle 8 being recessed as indicated at I5 to allow the trigger to enter the handle when depressed. The bell crank lever I4 is connected by means of a link It to the bolt ll of thedevice, which ,bolt is mounted in a housing l8 and is normally spring-pressed into locked position by means of aspring l9, andsaid bolt is actuated in the following manner:

A rocker lever'20 is pivoted at the point 2| to the lock housing and engages-the ball end 22 of the actuating link Hiv and pins.23 and 24, extending from the bolt "and through a slot 25 formed in the bolt housing normally engaging this lever 20. The free end of said lever enters a. slot 26 formed in the end of the link 21, which in turn is connected to a bell crank lever 28 and is then connected to an operating handle 29 mounted in the door within the vehicle, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

It will be noted that when the trigger mechanism I2 is depressed within the handle of the device, the link I6 causes the lever 20 to be actuated about the pivot point 2!, and this lever 20 contacts the pins 23 and 24 situated upon the bolt I! and slidable within the slot 25 of the lock housing.

When the trigger I2 is pressed inwardly, the member [4 causes the link it to release the bolt l1 against the tension of the springs l9 and 39. A lever 3| is mounted across the housing It and is pivoted at the point 32, and may be operated from the inside of the vehicle door. The link I 6 passes through the lever 3| and when the same mechanism 33, which lock mechanism may be of the ordinary tumbler or cylinder lock of the usual character.

It will be observed that when it is desired to open the door of the vehicle from the outside thereof, a key may be placed in the tumbler or cylinder lock and the entire mechanism set forth may be released from the outside of the vehicle. This movement of the parts designated releases the handle 8 and the component parts thereof.

It is apparent that when the driver of a vehicle so equipped grasps the trigger l2, the bolt is withdrawn from the latch in the usual manner; and if it is desired to open the latch or lock from the inside of the vehicle, the handle 29 is operated, which causes the link 21, which is slotted at its outer end, to withdraw the bolt.

It is to be noted that the door cannot be locked with the key from the outside. It is necessary that the knob on the inside of the door be operated in order to lock the door. The door, however, can be unlocked by the key, or by operating the knob in the opposite manner from that of looking it, and by operating the handle inside the door.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, comprising a motor vehicle door lock, a handle mounted exteriorly of the door of the vehicle, a spring controlled trigger mechanism pivotally mounted in the handle, an outwardly spring pressed bolt associated with said trigger mechanism, an intermediately pivoted lever having one end operated by said trigger mechanism and its opposite end connected tothe bolt, a bolt operating handle on the inside of the door and having a link connection with the intermediately pivoted bolt operating lever, and an intermediately pivoted lever operated from within the vehicle and adapted to disconnect the trigger link mechanism from the intermediately pivoted bolt operating lever.

2. In a device of the character described, comprising a motor vehicle door lock, a handle mounted exteriorly of the door of the vehicle, a spring controlled trigger mechanism pivotally mounted in the handle, an outwardly spring pressed bolt associated with said trigger mechanism, an intermediately pivoted lever having one end operated by said trigger mechanism and its opposite end connected to the bolt, a bolt operating handle on the inside of the door and having a link connection with the intermediately pivoted bolt operating lever, an intermediately pivoted lever operated from within the vehicle and adapted to disconnect the trigger link mechanism from the intermediately pivoted bolt operating lever, and a key operated mechanism operated from the outside of the vehicle for connecting the trigger operating mechanism with the intermediately pivoted bolt operating lever.

3. In a device of the character described, comprising a motor vehicle door lock, a handle mounted exteriorly of the door of, the vehicle, a spring controlled trigger mechanism pivotally mounted in the handle, an outwardly spring pressed bolt associated with said trigger mechanism, an intermediately pivoted lever having one end passing between pins carried by the spring pressed bolt and its opposite end detachably connected to a link operated by the trigger mecha- 

